Pathfinder Tales: Hell's Pawns ePub

In the devil-worshiping nation of Cheliax, crime is a strangely slippery concept, and those with money and power tend to make the rules. Yet when aristocrat detective Pathfinder Varian Jeggare and his devil-blooded bodyguard Radovan are drawn into a series of noble murders, it quickly becomes clear that there's more afoot than simply someone settling old scores. Add in a zealous Hellknight law-keeper with a chip on his shoulder, and not even the heroes are safe from suspicion. Can the crime-solving duo delve into the city's seedy underbelly and uncover the culprit in time to stop the murders, or will their next public appearance be writhing on the executioner's tines in the Plaza of Flowers?

From fan-favorite author Dave Gross comes a gritty mystery of death and devils, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Originally published in the Council of Thieves Adventure Path, this novella can be read on its own or as a prequel to the novel Prince of Wolves and the short story "The Lost Pathfinder."

Average product rating:

great intro to the characters

Not only do you get a great introduction to the general awesomeness of Radovan and Count Jeggare, you also get some trademark Gross craft - you'll wish some of the "incidental" characters had spinoffs!

Having read a ton about Cheliax for my pathfinder games, I was still chilled to read him bring it to life. Its a blast to see Count Jeggare both be a part of that weird, deadly society, and skirt it.

Also this is a great way to start - this work sets the tone as sort of a Watson and Holmes theme, and gets you comfy with it, before the future works spin the stereotype on its head and turn it up to 11 with complications and twists between them! But ya, I am glad this one starts their relationship off a little less complicated so the new readers can just focus on the characters and story, get their feet wet.

Fun Adventure, Brings Cheliax to Life

I am not a big reader of RPG tie-in fiction, but having listened to (the first?) two Dave Gross interviews on the Know Direction podcast, I found myself more and more intrigued by Radovan and Count Jeggare, and Paizo's PDF Love sale was the perfect excuse to break down and purchase the series. The beginning seemed as good a place as any to start, so I blazed through Hell's Pawns over the past couple days.

This novella certainly delivers on all the promise in Mr. Gross's interviews, serving up a fun and compelling adventure tale. And though I leave this story feeling I know Radovan much better than I know the Count, those glimpses of the Boss that I caught left me curious for more.

And while I'm no expert on RPG tie-in fiction, Hell's Pawns seems successful there, too, giving me my first real feeling of "getting" Cheliax, a corner of Golarion that had never quite gelled for me.